"It's Okay to Regift"... Generation Z Embraces Gift Recycling [World Z Gold]

A Generation Comfortable with Regifting Received Items
"Some Have Even Regifted to Their Partners"
Influenced by Job Insecurity and Rising Living Costs

Editor's NoteGeneration Z (those born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s) is drawing attention as a generation that leads culture and trends in a rapidly changing era, setting new standards across society. In [World Z Gold], we shed light on the lives and values of Generation Z around the world and examine how they are changing society.

The perception of young people regarding regifting-giving away a received present to someone else-is changing. Among American Generation Z, it is becoming increasingly common to regift items such as clothes that do not fit, household appliances they already own, or accessories that do not match their tastes. In the past, this behavior was described as "gift recycling" or "re-gifting," and was considered rude for disregarding the giver's intentions. However, Generation Z, who value rational consumption, now see it as a practical way to save money.

"It's better to regift than to keep something out of obligation"

Pixabay

The American media outlet America Online (AOL) recently highlighted the growing "regifting" culture among Generation Z in an article titled "What Generation Z No Longer Feels Embarrassed About: Regifting Received Presents."

Ansun Tong, a 27-year-old office worker, has experience regifting a variety of items, from board games and puzzles to Lego sets. "I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I don't like keeping things around that I don't use," he explained, adding that he regifts items that do not suit his tastes or that he does not plan to use. Tong said, "I think it's better for someone else to use the item than for it to just gather dust because I'm keeping it out of obligation," and added, "I don't have the space to keep accumulating things."

The spread of regifting culture is rooted in the difficult realities faced by young people. With job insecurity and rising living costs, the economic pressure on Generation Z has intensified. On top of this, the "frugal chic" trend-meaning stylish thriftiness-has gained popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, making it a lifestyle to reduce unnecessary consumption and only keep what is truly needed.

This trend is also reflected in survey results. In October of last year, Intuit, a credit research agency, surveyed 1,500 American consumers aged 18 to 60. Among all respondents, 28% said they had regifted an item received from an early-stage romantic partner in order to stay within their budget.

In particular, young people who move frequently and live in relatively small spaces are more likely to accept regifting as natural. Grace, 26, who enjoys reading, said, "Most of the books I receive as gifts are duplicates of ones I already own, so I always regift them. I think it's better for those books to find a good new owner."

Jess, 29, also said, "Regifting a present to someone else still feels a bit taboo," but admitted to having done it. She added, "I regifted a mug to a close friend, and surprisingly, she liked it. It turned out she had a similar experience herself."

Reselling Received Gifts Is Common in Korea

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This trend is also evident in Korea, where reselling received gifts is already familiar. In Korea, the neologism "Gift Tech" (a blend of "gifticon" and "financial technology") has spread over the past few years. It refers to reselling unused gifticons (mobile gift certificates). Sellers can convert unused gifticons into cash to supplement living expenses, while buyers can purchase products at a lower price than the retail price, creating a matching demand.

In fact, on the gifticon brokerage platform Giftistar, a Starbucks Americano coupon that sells for 4,700 won on KakaoTalk can be purchased at a 15% discount for 3,990 won. The signature menu item "Strawberry Chocolate Fresh Cream Cake" from Twosome Place, which is priced at 39,000 won, is traded at a 13% discounted price of 33,860 won. On secondhand trading platforms, it is also easy to find posts selling Starbucks Americano and Fresh Cream Castella gifticons with explanations such as "I received it as a gift, but I'm selling it because I don't enjoy this menu."

As demand for gifticon trading increases, the use of related platforms is also active. Gifticon trading platforms such as Giftistar, Nikonnaecon, and Pallago have each recorded over 500,000 downloads on the Google Play Store. Users who purchase gifticons at discounted prices have responded positively, saying, "It's not a huge difference, but it's nice to save even a little," and "It feels good to get a discount on coffee."